


Siren Song

by The_SeaCat



Category: Curse of Maraqua, Neopets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:27:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27446365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_SeaCat/pseuds/The_SeaCat
Summary: Prompted by Sea Cat, Garin and the others journey to Nereid's Grotto to intercept Captain Scarblade before he can find it himself, but it would seem there are other dangers lurking in the partially submerged caverns, and Sea Cat finds herself making an unexpected and unwelcome bargain in order to save her friends before it's too late!





	1. Chapter 1

“Watch your head!”

“Ouch!” Jacques yelped, ducking seconds too late to avoid a small outcrop of rock that the human girl ahead of him previously dipped under to avoid. “Now ya tell me!” he groaned, rubbing his sore scalp and looking up at Sea Cat. “Hey, do you think maybe we could slow down just a little bit?”

“No way!” Sea Cat replied, turning back to look at him briefly before shifting her weight in the skiff to look ahead in the cavern. “We’ve got to get to that map first!”

“Your loyalty is moving, Cat,” Garin said, adjusting the light of the lantern he held as the others rowed behind him. “But that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to go at that same pace!”

“If I have to jump out and swim ahead then, I’ll do it!” Sea Cat said back to him. “And you know I will!”

“What’s so important about an old mural anyway?” Talak asked as adjusted the rudder.

“It’s not just a mural, Talak, it’s a map showing how to get to Nereid’s Grotto!” Sea Cat replied. 

“But everyone knows where that is!”

“Aye, but do you know why no one has ever been inside?”

“Err… Now that you mention it, I don’t.”

“Nereid’s Grotto is a honeycomb of underwater tunnels, traps, and enchantments. And apparently this mural Sea Cat’s talking about acts as a map that shows you how to the direct route of how to get there and clues on how to avoid the traps that lie in your path.” Garin said, looking at Talak. 

“But it’s enchanted, by Nereid herself, no less. The map can only be read clearly at the height of the spring tide. And unfortunately a certain someone seems to have found where the mural is hidden as well as the secret to reading it.” Sea Cat added. “And if Benny gets to the map and makes sense of it before the spring tide ends, then he can lead ol’ Cyclops right to the heart Nereid’s Grotto and all the treasures hidden there!”

“Speaking of…” Jacques said in a hushed voice, gazing ahead of them as they went deeper down the small cave. Sea Cat turned, following his hand as he pointed to a small platform just ahead.

The platform was made of stone, and rose out of the water in an almost natural way like the seashore itself, with pillars carved with scale-like patterns on either side. Just beyond the platform was a wall, arched forward like a wave, covered in colored, crystal and gemstone tiles that formed shapes and patterns; the mural they can come looking for. Knelt before the mural was none other than Benny the Blade, eyes studying the mural and scribbling things down on a large navigation blank he’d laid out on the stone floor in front of him. So focused he was on his task, that he didn’t notice the skiff land behind him next to his own, until Garin jumped out and called,

“I’m amazed that you actually know how to write, let alone scribble, Benny!” 

Benny turned and sprang up, facing Garin as Sea Cat, Jacques, and the others climbed out of the skiff, growling. “The lot of you are more persistent than barnacles!”

“It’s part of our charm.” Jacques said, smirking.

“Hand over the chart, Benny, and forget you ever saw this place!” Sea Cat demanded, taking a step forward only to be stopped by Garin.

“Why don’t you come over here and make me?!”

“Not a good choice of words there, Benny. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re outnumbered!” Garin said.

“Not for long, I promise you. Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to come here alone? Once I found out about this place, I left a trail for the captain to follow!” Benny boasted proudly, drawing a cutlass from his belt.

Sea Cat grit her teeth and cursed under her breath. He’d arrived here by boat himself, but with the black magic Scarblade’s crew was known to use, they could have easily followed Benny from underwater and waited in ambush! She looked over her shoulder and watched the surface warily for any signs of movement other than the ones they had made in their skiff moments ago, while the rest of the crew kept their attention on Benny. If they could just keep him busy and hope that Scarblade didn’t arrive before the tide fell again…

The water rippled in a way that made her visibly tense up, the crew to draw their weapons, and Benny grin.

“Ha! Have to admit, wasn’t expecting him here so soon!” he boasted again, though his tone didn’t last long.

It was a sound none of them had ever heard before, one that sent chills to their bones and at the same time made a warmth pool in the deepest part of their chests; all except for Sea Cat, who glanced around in confusion as her friends seemed displaced by the sound.

“Garin? Jacques?” she asked, shaking the former’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I…” Garin shook his head, wincing as he rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “I feel strange!”

“Me too… like my… like my body isn’t my own!” Jacques said, voice strained as he struggled to move even one of his swords.

“What… devilry is this?!” Benny growled, grabbing his own wrist and trying to force his own hand from sheathing his cutlass.

Sea Cat turned back to the water as three figures broke its surface, each of them giggling through mouths of pointed teeth at the obvious plight the group was in. The first was slender, with long, smooth, red hair that flowed behind her like a river, her body decorated with gold and pearls, and emerald green scales with magenta colored frills and fins, staring at them with deep green eyes. The second was the thickest built, with short, pale blond hair, wearing jewelry of simple silver color, but accented with large topaz gemstones, and a tail of lavender with pale golden frills, gazing at them with amethyst eyes. And the final was like a skeleton, with hair in a mess of curls and knots, various strands of kelp and seaweed wrapped around her body, with scales as black as pitch accompanied by frills of sea blue, leering at them with eyes of blood red.

Sirens.

Sea Cat had only ever seen one in her lifetime, as an image in a magic orb shown to her by a Faerie. They were alike, yet different in so many ways; where Water Faeries had only blond hair and blue tails, sirens came in every combination of colors you could think of. And Water Faeries could utilize water magics without limits, whereas sirens were restricted to the strength of their voice to make so much as a wave. If there were to be a duel between a Water Faerie and a siren, the siren would always lose, thus, they usually kept clear of Water Faeries, so three of them in a cave where one was supposed to live was quite an unforeseen predicament.

But as the old saying goes, “in Neopia, trouble always comes in threes.”

“Aren’t we in luck,” the red haired one said as the trio swam closer to the shore. “Quite a few here for us to use!”

“Enough to spare for a snack?” the blonde one asked, eying an increasingly nervous Talak as she swam closer.

“Not until after we’re inside! We discussed this already!” the red haired one snapped.

“Get away from me you sea hags!” Jacques yelped as the dark haired one dragged herself halfway out of the water towards him.

“You heard him!” Sea Cat commanded, drawing out her whip and cracking it at the siren’s arm and opening a small cut that caused her to hiss in pain and withdraw. “Back off or that pretty face of yours will be next!”

“Stupid human brat!” the dark haired siren shrieked, holding her wrist and glaring at Sea Cat with utter murderous intent. “How dare you!”

The red hair siren clicked her tongue. “Seems this one is unaffected. I keep forgetting that about female land-walkers.”

“So can I eat this one then?”

“No! She hurt me! I get to drown her!”

“Quiet, both of you!” the redhead barked, green eyes flashing dangerously at the other two. “We don’t have time for either of you to play your games! …Perhaps afterwards, if you both behave, Euboea will have her chance to drown her, and Ornea, you can eat her when she’s finished.”

“Fine by me! So long as I get to take my time,” the dark haired one hissed.

“If you get to take your time, then I get to as well!”

“Enough!” the redhead’s green eyes flashed angrily again, this time turning away from the other two and towards Garin and the others. “You men, seize the girl and fasten her to one of those pillars!”

“Wha—!?” Sea Cat could barely register what the red haired siren said before she felt a hand grab onto her wrist tightly, turning to find Jacques as the perpetrator. “Jacques?! What are you doing!?”

“I-I can’t help it!” Jacques said, arm shaking as he unsuccessfully tried to let go of Sea Cat’s arm, while Garin joined him and forced Sea Cat’s whip away from her. “It’s… It’s those three sirens!”

“Keep… trying!” Garin grunted, ears pinning back as he fought his own movements, even as he and Jacques were forced to drag Sea Cat over to one of the two pillars, while Bill reluctantly retrieved a rope from the skiff and walked over to them with it.

“You boys are sailors, right? Make sure those knots are extra tight so she doesn’t get away before we can have our fun!” the dark haired siren, the one called Euboea, swam alongside the platform for a better view as Sea Cat was fastened to the pillar against her—and her crewmates’—will.

“S-Sorry, Cat!” Bill said as he unwillingly helped Jacques fasten the knots that held her. She tested them as they finished, leaving her facing the mural, but true to the siren’s orders, the knots were too tight for her to even consider trying to so much as squirm loose.

“Good boys!” the blonde siren, Ornea, said with a giggle. 

“Now what?” Talak dared to ask, swallowing nervously.

“Now, you boys get to work out the traps for us,” the red haired siren said, eyes having traveled to the mural on the wall and studying it carefully. “No sense in us losing a few scales trying to get to the Grotto.”

“When Nereid finds and catches you there she’ll turn you three into nicely packed sardines!” Sea Cat growled, straining her neck to glare directly at the redhead.

“Hmph! Perhaps we should gag this one too, Nemea!” Euboea said to the redhead. “Something about her voice just… makes me sick!

“Ignore her.” Nemea said as she turned back towards the cavern entrance. “We should go before the water level lowers. You men get into your boat, and follow us!”

Sea Cat grit her teeth and fought against the rope as Garin and the others, and even Benny, filed into the boat, with Garin looking back at her with a worried frown, which she caught just before they shoved off form the shore. She wanted to call after them and reassure them of rescue, though with the knots they left her bound with, she wasn’t entirely sure she could promise that.

Even after the sounds of their oars stroking the water’s surface faded away, she continued to writhe like a Mootix caught in a Spyder’s web. She writhed and wriggled even as she felt the ropes burn into her skin through her clothes. After all, if she gave in, what would happen to Garin and the others? Or to her if those sirens came back? She had to at least try… even if it meant the ropes breaking her skin from struggling and causing her to bleed. 

Another disturbance in the water, and she froze. Did one of the sirens come back? No, surely not. They seemed—despite Euboea’s anger at her—too determined to reach the inner sanctum of the Grotto to waste their time with her at the moment. Perhaps Nereid herself?

She strained her neck again to find out choking down a loud gasp of surprise and ducking herself back behind the pillar as the terror of the seas himself, Captain Scarblade of the Revenge, emerged from the water, followed by the rest of his crew. She bit her lip and kept quiet, knowing that a single sound from her would more than likely mean her doom at Scarblade’s hands.

That’s when a thought struck her…

“Benny?” Scarblade barked loudly as he walked up the platform, glowering in disapproval at the Bruce’s absence. “Benny, you miserable wretch, where are you?!”

“Gone.”

Her voice made his head snap in her direction, single eye finding her almost instantly as his crew approached and gathered around her, giving just enough space to allow him to approach her directly.

“Three sirens showed up and used their voices on him, Garin, Jacques, and the others.” Sea Cat said, glaring up at Scarblade as he leered down at her in amusement. “They’re headed for Nereid’s Grotto.”

“And left you behind to use up one of your nine lives, it seems.” Scarblade said, drawing his cutlass and resting the point dangerously under Sea Cat’s chin. “Or perhaps all of them at once, eh?”

“Kill me, and you’ll never get to the grotto!” Sea Cat warned, mouth turning a bit dry.

The point of Scarblade’s cutlass tickled her skin in a way she very much disliked as he used it to briefly gesture over his shoulder at the mural behind him. “Yer going to have to do better than that, lass,” he said, chuckling as he placed the cutlass back at her throat.

“Look again, captain.” 

Scarblade glanced over his shoulder again, one eye narrowing at the mural as the colorful tiles began to dim and almost fade all together, then he looked back at Sea Cat as she continued.

“You haven’t had nearly as much time to study that map as I have. And besides, I know something about it that not even Benny, in all his crafty, snooping ways, could ever learn.”

“And that is?” Scarblade growled.

“There’s a secret passage that is an even more direct path to the Grotto, and even goes around most of the traps.” Sea Cat said, managing a proud smirk. “It’s a route that’s known only to Agents of the Faerie Council, in case of emergencies. A short cut, if you will. If you want to get to the Grotto first, then you need a guide.”

Scarblade lowered his cutlass only a hairsbreadth, studying Sea Cat with his one, wicked, red eye in a way that made her visibly shudder, even in such tight bindings. She tensed again as Scarblade pressed the cutlass point directly against her chin, forcing her head to tilt back while he towered over her and looked her in the eye.

“And how do I know yer not just spinnin’ some pretty tall tale?” he asked.

Sea Cat took a deep breath, gritting her teeth as she found the courage to say, “Because no matter how much I don’t like it, right now, you’re the only way I can save my friends.”

It felt like an eternity, however it was only a few moments as Scarblade glared down at her, while she practically held her breath, trying to keep her heart from pounding hard enough in her throat, which was still at risk from being cut by his cutlass. It only sank back down to its proper place after Scarblade suddenly dragged the blade downward in one swift, rapid motion that cut through her bonds like a hot knife through butter. The action made her blood run cold and have to look down in amazement that it only narrowly missed cutting off the buttons of her vest.

“Just understand one thing,” Scarblade warned, grabbing her chin and forcing her to face him again. “Should there be any tricks, I’ll make sure you live to regret it as you watch each of your precious friends walk the plank!”

Sea Cat swatted his hand away with a scowl. “Follow me,” she said, then proceeded to turn and walk to the edge of the platform, making a small jump from it over to a rock ledge that stood up out of the water near the wall of the cave, close to the mural. As Scarblade and his crew followed her, her hand found one of the tiles that acted as the mural’s border, and she turned it, forcefully.

There was the low sound of cogs and gears turning, before a lower corner of the mural opened into a small doorway, which she ducked through, with Scarblade following almost instantly, practically hovering over her back, to ensure that she didn’t try closing it shut on them. She suppressed a shudder, as well as the urge to draw her elbow back and strike him between the ribs, and waited as his crew followed them in before continuing onwards.

“Bit of a snug passage way you’ve led us down.” Scarblade managed to jab before she could stand up to full height.

“Believe me, if it weren’t a practical necessity to stay in close quarters to avoid the traps, I’d keep you at a cable’s length!” Sea Cat growled back at him.

“Traps? I thought you said this passage avoids the traps!”

“I said it avoids most of the traps.” Sea Cat corrected as she took down an old lantern from the wall and proceeded to light the wick inside. “There are a few in here. Lucky for you, I know what to look for.”

“Hmph. I see that you plan on keeping the vital information to yourself as insurance then, aye?”

“Aye.” Sea Cat stood up with the lantern. “Now follow me, and tell your gang of sea rats not to touch anything.”

Scarblade scoffed and gave the orders to his crew before following after Sea Cat as she walked through the narrow passageway, lantern held high to light the way. She kept her eyes open for any of the triggers she had been trained to look for, while at the same time unable to keep from checking behind her. She didn’t trust Scarblade as far as she could throw him, however, at the moment, he was her only option. If he and his crew could at least surprise the sirens long enough for her to do something about rescuing Garin and the others, she’d be satisfied.

She stopped at a cobbled floor that emerged from the smooth rock, sticking her arm out as a signal for those behind her to stop as well, and Scarblade leaned over her shoulder to look down at the floor.

“Methinks that crossing this floor isn’t as simple as it appears, aye?”

“Youthinks correctly.” Sea Cat replied with a nod, then turned and handed him the lantern. “Here, you’re taller. Hold this as high as you can.”

Scarblade obeyed, though he hardly acknowledged her either, stretching his arm high above his head so that the light illuminated more of the tunnel… but nothing changed. He scowled and lowered the lantern again, about to bark angrily at Sea Cat before she held up a finger to silence him and opened the glass door of the lantern.

“Just get ready to move, and only step on the stones that glow,” she said, before blowing out the wick with a puff of air. Scarblade was about to grab her to prevent her from disappearing in the dark, when a bright green glow dimly lit up the cave from the floor. He looked down, finding that a trail of the cobblestones were glowing like the markings on a deep sea fish, leading throughout the corridor. He looked to Sea Cat again as she gingerly stepped forward onto one of the glowing stones, before doing the same with another.

“Follow her,” he said over his shoulder to his crew. “And hurry before the glow fades!”

“You catch on fast, Cyclops.” Sea Cat muttered, only partially hoping he wouldn’t hear her as she stepped from stone to stone. She heard him scoff, and only when she was safely on the other side, did she wipe her smirk off her face. She turned to Scarblade as he relit the lantern again.

“Any other surprises ahead?” he asked.

“Just a few.” Sea Cat replied. “Come on.”

She kept the functions of the coming traps to herself, until the time came to actually confront them. She didn’t want Scarblade taking any more advantage of her desperation than he already was, and besides, knowing the diabolical captain, he already most likely had something up his sleeves once they reached the Grotto anyway. So she’d have to be just as clever somehow.

And then there was the problem those siren’s presented…

“Oi,” she said, stopping and looking at Scarblade. “How many of your women crewmembers did you bring?” 

“Helma, Bomber, Cookie, Looty, Avenger, front and center!” Scarblade barked behind him.

A purple furred, pink haired Lupe carrying a large hunk of timber on her back, a young, blue Zafara practically wearing dozens of bombs, an enormous yellow Moehog cook, a Pirate Lenny with ratted feathers, some of which had fallen out and she had put into her own hat, and finally a yellow Kyrii that Sea Cat unfortunately knew all too well, stepped forward. Sea Cat rubbed her chin.

“You five plus myself, huh?” she said. “Not great odds, but it’s better than nothing.”

“What are you getting at?” Scarblade asked.

“The siren’s voices don’t work on women.” Sea Cat explained. “But if the rest of you lot get enchanted then we’ll be in serious trouble. So the six of us—” she motioned to the other female pirates. “—Will have the best chance of facing them while the rest of you…”

Scarblade raised an eyebrow, at first wondering why she paused, but then he grinned, showing teeth and chuckling as she frowned at the cave floor. “While the rest of us deal with your little band, aye?”

“Even under the sirens control they’ll still fight you with everything they’ve got, just like before, make no mistake.” Sea Cat said, looking up to scowl at him. “And given your track record…” Sea Cat stepped back as Scarblade reached for his cutlass with a threatening snarl. “Oi! Remember our deal! You still need me!”

“Then I suggest that you continue to make yourself useful, lass.” Scarblade growled, not drawing his cutlass, but closing the gap between them. “Otherwise, I’ll find other ways!”

Sea Cat shuddered and forced down a small lump in her throat, before turning and continuing on down the tunnel. She had something of a plan, though it wasn’t at all a good one. If she was going to save Garin and the others, while at the same time outsmarting Scarblade and those sirens, she was going to need a much better plan.

Or even a miracle!

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

The reflection of the lantern light on water drew her attention away from her thoughts after several minutes of strained silence whilst she continued to lead Scarblade and his crew along towards the heart of Nereid’s Grotto. She hardly noticed the passage of time it seemed, she was so in her own mind, trying to think of ways to rescue Garin and the others from both the sirens and now from Scarblade too, practically! It was in the midst of those thoughts that she began to think back to something she had learned in her training as an Agent for the Faerie Council, specifically what she had learned about Nereid’s Grotto… and she couldn’t help but think that there was something she was forgetting. Something important about the Grotto aside from what treasures it may contain or the traps that guarded them. But what?

“Oi,” Scarblade’s voice broke her train of thought and she turned to him. “How much further do we have to go?”

“Not much.” Sea Cat said with a frustrated sigh. “The thing that concerns me right now is how only six of us are going to deal with those sirens and keep the rest of you mugs from getting entranced just like Garin and the others…”

“I don’t suppose stuffing cotton into our ears would do any good?” Scarblade asked.

“Well, there is a rule for magic that you have to be able to see and hear it for it to have an effect on you… That might not be a bad idea, if you’ve got the cotton to spare.” Sea Cat replied, watching Scarblade shake his head in annoyance in return. She took that immediately as confirmation that he in fact did not have any, and sighed, looking back to the water.

“Alright, the trail from here takes us through the shallows,” she said as she waded into the water, headed for an opening just ahead of her. Scarblade followed, keeping her within arm’s length as he did.

The opening in the cave wall was a narrow one, but opened up near instantly to a much larger channel, at the far end of which a stone platform, much like the one from the map chamber, could be seen. Only for this one, small channels had been dug out in the stone for water to trickle through, and a large, round, stone door stood in place of a mural. The water in the channel was clear and shining, so much so that the lantern was no longer needed, and clean, white sand that was scattered with shells and coral could be seen at the bottom. Sea Cat felt that forgotten element itching at the back of her mind as she came to the edge of the shallows and stopped, staring down at the slightly disturbed sand whilst chewing her lip. She flinched when she felt Scarblade slap a hand on her shoulder, gripping it tightly as she turned her head to face him.

He smirked at her. “I have to admit, I thought you might be leading us into a trap here, lass. But it seems yer good for yer word after all.”

“And I have to admit I’m impressed I haven’t found a cutlass jutting out of me just yet…” Sea Cat grumbled up at him with a glare. “But if it helps me to have a chance at saving Garin and the others… I suppose I’d go as far as to let you guide me blindfolded.”

“Look on the bright side,” Scarblade said with a dark chuckle. “You could always join my crew if they’ve taken up with ol’ Davy Jones.”

“Cap’n, listen!”

Scarblade and Sea Cat looked away from one another and towards the entrance to the channel as the sounds of oars could be heard hitting the water’s surface. Scarblade’s claws slid off her shoulder and instead reached for his cutlass, turning to his crew.

“Hide, all of you!” he whispered just loudly enough for them to hear, then grabbed Sea Cat by her arm and tugged her behind a large rock near the shoreline. Part of her wanted to yell and warn Garin and the others, but that wouldn’t do much good since they were still under the siren’s control, plus it would only alert the sirens to her presence. She had to play this smart, and most of all, carefully.

She counted heads quietly as the skiff entered the cavern and beached on the platform of stone, sighing in relief when she saw everyone was accounted for. She had to feel a little sorry for Benny though. She wasn’t relieved to see him, and she was sure that Scarblade hardly gave a damn either.

“There, we’ve got you where you want to go, happy?” Garin growled as Nemea pulled herself onto the platform and slithered like an eel on its surface to move forward.

“You boys did do very well, but we still have one last challenge we need you all to take care of,” she replied, in a knowing tone that made Jacques groan.

“What now?”

That’s when Sea Cat remembered, and she cursed herself for not remembering sooner. Scarblade heard the mutter and shot a narrow eyed, suspicious scowl at her.

“What?” he demanded quietly.

“We’ve got a problem! A big, big, big problem!” she said, not bothering to hush her voice as she scanned the water urgently, eyes bulging slightly when she saw the sand begin to shift and several branches of coral begin to move. “And here it comes!”

No sooner than she cried out in alarm than did the surface of the water break from below, sending the half-docked skiff flying into the air and splintering to pieces, earning cries of shock from both Garin’s and Scarblade’s crew, who had revealed themselves in an effort to get as far away from the water as possible.

It was a Kora, bigger than any ever seen before, almost as big as a sloop! Covered in spiny branches of coral that acted like a Spyder’s legs and as it’s fins all at once! It let out a shriek at the intruders on the platform, and on the beach as it splashed the water angrily, raising one of his bristled arms out of the water and slapping it down towards Garin, who thankfully was able to dive aside in time.

“What is that thing?!” Jacques asked, drawing one of his cutlasses, unwillingly putting himself between Ornea and the Kora.

“Nereid’s pet. He guards the entrance to her Grotto,” Nemea replied casually. “And you boys have to keep him busy while we open the door.”

“I hope it leaves something for us afterwards at least.” Ornea whined as she followed her sister up the platform.

Euboea scoffed at her sister as she dragged herself up onto the plot form, slipping between Garin and Talak as temporary shields. “You heard my sister, sailors! Fight that beast!”

It was against their better judgement of course, but under the trio’s spell, Garin and the others had no choice. Thankfully they had enough control to fight for their survival, as they were intended to make time for the sirens, after all. The beast shrieked down at them as they focused their attacks on its legs and fins, which were practically clamping it to the shore, whilst splashing hard and tall waves at them to try and keep them back.

“They don’t stand a chance,” Scarblade said with a scoff. Sea Cat glared at his remark and stood up, darting out from behind the rock, causing Scarblade to shout and grab for her. “Stop her!” he shouted to his crew.

A few of them made clumsy dives for her from their hiding spots, but she nimbly avoided them and darted through the shallows and to the edge of the platform, stopping and stepping back just in time to dodge another large frond of coral.

“Garin! Jacques!” she called over the noise, hands cupped to the sides of her mouth.

“Cat?!” Garin heard her in mid roll away from an attack from the Kora, standing up and looking at her in shock. “How did you—?!” 

“You again!?” 

Sea Cat turned to find Euboea slithering towards her, long nailed hands scratching against the ground as they helped to drag her forward, red eyes glaring daggers at her. Sea Cat instinctively reached for her whip, a few moments of panic overcoming her as she realized it had been taken away from her back in the mural chamber.

“I guess sailor’s knots really don’t hold up as well as they’re rumored to,” Euboea said, bringing herself back up to full height so that she could tower over Sea Cat. “No matter! I’ll take care of you myself!”

She lunged for the girl, hands outstretched for her neck, but Sea Cat dodged aside, taking care to avoid the giant Kora’s attacks as the siren turned on her again, this time sweeping her legs out from under her with her tail. Sea Cat grunted as she was thrown back into the shallows, managing to reach up and catch Euboea’s hands as they reached for her neck again, however was helpless as Euboea wrapped her tail around her to prevent her from rolling away to the safety of the dry land. If she was pulled into the deeper water…

A shot rang out, narrowly missing Euboea’s head as she opened her mouthful of sharp teeth and lowered them towards Sea Cat’s neck, making her look away and hiss in anger. Sea Cat couldn’t feign the surprise on her face when she saw the shot came from Scarblade, although she also couldn’t help but wonder—with how close it came to her as well—that if it wasn’t intended for her. Still, it gave her a small chance, and a slight idea.

“Keep them from singing!” she shouted over the ruckus around her. “Then they can’t use their spell!”

She wasn’t sure if Scarblade was going to act on her suggestion, or if he was simply going to capitalize on the chaos to slip into the Grotto himself. Either way, her shout to him alerted, not only Euboea to his presence, but also the other two sirens. His shot might have gone unnoticed in the battle, and Euboea might have ignored his presence for the sake of finishing Sea Cat off, however, Sea Cat wasn’t about to let him just wait for the outcome like the vulture he was. Even if it would eat at her later, making it seem like he was an ally to the sirens might just give her, Garin, and the others a fighting chance.

The Kora continued its assault on the crew of the Black Pawkeet, while Nemea and Ornea sized up the crew of the Revenge, as though deciding what to do before the five women crew members Sea Cat had asked to come forward before, charged forward, surprising the closest one to them, Ornea, from the shallows. She shrieked and hit at them with her tail, however their surprise attack made her retaliation seem like a halfhearted effort. Avenger and Cookie stayed to deal with her, while the other two charged at Nemea, flying at her in a joint tackle, and only just missing her as her wet body slithered to one side. Meanwhile, Sea Cat attempted to struggle free from Euboea’s coiled grip, so as to continue the battle, however, the action only made the siren tighten her hold on her, almost crushing and cracking bone.

“This is all your fault!” Euboea hissed at Sea Cat, hands latching around her throat. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy watching your last breath!”

With that, she rolled herself and Sea Cat into the deeper water, submerging them. Sea Cat barely managed to suck in any air before she was forced down to the bottom, and knew even that little bit of air wasn’t going to last her for very long. She could hear Euboea’s manic laugh as clearly as it was above water, as the siren watched and felt her struggle. The water above them both churned with the battle, and she was almost sure she could hear her friends calling out for her in anguish, unable to help. She could feel her lungs beginning to sting as bubbles leaked from her mouth as the instinct to curse tugged at the corners of her mouth. Was this really it? Her adventures as an Agent, as a pirate, ending with her drowned at the bottom of a tidal pool? And her friends, once the sirens were done with them, what would become of them? If the sirens, or that Kora didn’t finish them, then Scarblade would certainly have his chance to try…

It wasn’t sad or frightening to her, it was… it was worse. It was the frustration of not being able to do more. As an Agent, as a pirate, as a person, as a friend… it frustrated her to no end that she could be this helpless and how she unwilling she was to let this happen, despite how powerless she was…

Her lungs burned as she gathered up what little strength she had left in that moment to open her mouth to scream in her frustration as consciousness started to slip from her.

What came out of her wasn’t a muted shriek, or scream. It was a sound that, if you were to ask any who heard it to describe it, would still be considered a mystery. It pierced and rippled through the water like the heavy gong of a bell, that rang through the air like a haunting wail, and that stung the ears of all in the cavern in such a way that it crawled to their very core!

Garin clutched at his ears and yowled, not in pain, but in surprise. The sound was making his sensitive ears ring even more than the siren’s song had when he first heard it! Even the Kora seemed disturbed by it, retreating back into the water a bit as it let out a moan of displeasure. Nemea and Ornea also recoiled away from the sound, allowing them to slip a few feet away from Scarblade’s crew as they too seemed perturbed.

The sound stopped just as quickly as it started, and all let out a sigh in relief as silence briefly filled the cave. It was in those brief moments that Garin noticed that his body no longer like that of a puppet on strings, testing this by moving his arms in a way which he wanted them to.

“I can move,” he said to himself quietly, then looked at the rest of his crew. “Hey! I can move again!”

“Me too!” Jacques said, drawing out his second cutlass.

“Impossible, impossible!” Nemea’s green eyes were wide with what could best be described as horror as her and her sister’s former puppets strings had finally been cut. She backed away as they turned towards her and Ornea, forgetting the Kora for now, which seemed to be content to stay away from the general area where the mysterious sound came from to continue its onslaught for the moment.

The sound of water braking turned Garin and Jacques attention back to the edge of the platform, relief washing over them as they ran over to a gasping Sea Cat, who was struggling to haul herself out of the water.

“I think you just used up a life!” Garin managed to joke as they reached her. She gasped and looked at them, reaching out with one hand.

“G-Garin! Jacques! H-Help me! M-My… My legs…!”

So sooner than did she make her request then they each took an arm and pulled, dragging her fully out of the water. It was only then that they saw the reason as to why her legs didn’t seem to be working right, gasping in outright alarm and almost taking a step away from their friend as she turned to see the source of their shock…

A tail. A golden, blue frilled, fish tail where her legs should be.

Sea Cat’s jaw fell agape and her eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. “W-What the…?! Th-That’s… That’s impossible!! H-How can this be?!”

Before further questions could be asked, or possible explanations drawn, the water broke again, this time revealing Euboea flinging herself onto the stone platform a few feet away from Sea Cat and her friends. She too seemed to be gasping for breath as she turned and looked at Sea Cat with pure murder in her eyes.

“What… did you do… to me!?” her voice was no longer the sultry, smooth sound it was before. It was torn, broken, and weak, almost like she was constantly short of breath, or whispering despite her intention to scream. “My… My voice…!” she continued to rant in her broken tone as she dragged herself frantically towards the three. “What did you do to my voice?!”

Jacques stepped between the siren and his two friends, crossing his blades in front of him at a low angle, intending to slice her head off when she came just close enough, though did not get the chance as a large orb of water suddenly scooped up the ebon scaled siren and lifted her into the air above them. Two more orbs came from the water and snatched up Nemea and Ornea as well, despite their efforts to escape, the three joining together to create one large, bubble-like fishbowl in the air over the platform, trapping them together.

“That will be quite enough out of you three,” said a stern, yet sweet voice that rose out of the water, revealing the figure of none other than Nereid the Water Faerie as she swam into view from the entrance to the cavern and up to the platform with such grace that all eyes were temporarily locked on her.

“I got here just in time,” she said, scowling up at the bubble, while the Kora swam over towards her, growling. She turned and soothed it, leading the crew to sigh in relief as its attention was turned away from them, and they could now, in turn, focus their attention on Sea Cat.

“Cat, what happened to you?” Garin asked, trying to lift her into his arms so as to move her back onto more level ground. “You… I mean, you probably noticed this yourself, but you’ve grown a tail!”

“I-I don’t know!” Sea Cat said, staring down at the glistening, golden scaled and finned tail in confusion. “Th-The last thing I remember was being in the water with that… that siren, and I—” She shook her head and scratched at the scales, almost in a panic. “I don’t know what’s going on!”

“Calm down, for starters!” Jacques snatched her hand to keep her from hurting herself. 

“Maybe it was a spell she put on you?” Garin suggested.

“This is no spell.”

The gathered crew looked up to find Nereid sitting calmly just a few feet away, tail curled up neatly beneath her like a fine, silken gown as she smiled in a comforting way at Sea Cat.

“May I?” she asked, motioning to the tail. Sea Cat could only nod, and Nereid moved closer, hand ghosting over the scales briefly before looking up at Sea Cat, locking eyes with her and reaching up to brush a wet lock of hair out of her face, so as to see her clearly.

“Matilda, is that right?”

“A-Aye…”

“I need you to relax. Relax and breath. Just focus on your legs. Imagine yourself simply sitting cross legged, breath, and relax yourself.”

Sea Cat bit her lip, however, did as she was told. She breathed slowly, steadily, letting her eyes fall half shut as she tried for a moment to remember what it was like to have legs. It wasn’t that hard, really, though the panic and confusion she had felt mugged up even her most recent memories, still she was able to find them and focus.

She heard the crew gasp quietly in amazement, and opened her eyes just in time to watch as the tail faded away and in its place were her legs, trousers, boots and all, stretched out before her. She hesitated for a moment before bending her right knee, sighing in relief when it responded and letting her head hang back.

“Oh thank Fyora!” she exclaimed.

“How in the… what was that?” Garin asked.

“It’s not uncommon among sirens. Especially young half breeds who have never used their abilities before.” Nereid said nonchalantly. “It can take a good while to acclimate to such things.”

There was a long silence that fell over the crew as they all exchanged startled glances, with Sea Cat looking back to Nereid with her eyes wide yet again. Garin looked between the two females before finally speaking up.

“…wait, what?”

“She’s half siren, your friend.” Nereid repeated. Silence fell again, and she shook her head with a small smile. “I can see you’re very confused… Let me tend to any of your wounded, then I’ll explain everything.”

“What about those three?” Jacques asked, breaking the awkward tension a she looked up at the three siren sisters, still trapped in the bubble. Nereid turned to them with a scowl.

“They’ll be dealt with, never fear,” she said, snapping her fingers, and the bubble vanished. “And appropriately.”

“Looks like Scarblade and his lot scarpered.” Garin added, looking around.

“Should we go after them?”

“No.” Garin shook his head. “We’ve got more important things to concern ourselves with,” he said as he glanced at Sea Cat, who still seemed to be in a deal of shock. “Namely, answers…”  
~~~  
“Close to twenty years ago, I was approached by a siren who had just recently given birth to a half siren, half human infant.” Nereid explained, with the crew gathered around her and Sea Cat as she listened intently to what the Water Faerie had to say. “She was afraid for her child’s safety, as sirens are creatures obsessed with perfection among their species, and would more than likely try to destroy it rather than accept it. Thus, she begged me to find her child and protect it from her own people, before any harm could be done, while she was forced into hiding. I managed to locate the child in time, though I knew that the sirens involved would not stop searching, so I took the child from Neopia entirely, and instead took her to Earth, where she would be out of their reach.”

“And that… that was… me?” Sea Cat asked, pointing at herself. Nereid nodded. Sea Cat hummed and looked down at her lap, silently trying to process everything. 

Garin looked at Nereid. “So… if Sea Cat here is half siren, then… why is she only now sprouting a tail? I mean… we’ve seen her swim n’ get wet plenty of times before.”

“Well, the reason for that lies mostly with her human half.” Nereid replied. “Sirens are creatures tied solely to the water, though they can take on a human form and walk on land, they usually chose not to. Humans can usually adapt to just about every environment, however, it takes them time to do so. Thus, half sirens don’t usually develop their abilities until they’ve nearly reached adulthood. In the case of your friend here, her transformation was most likely triggered when she released her Siren Scream.”

“Siren Scream?” Sea Cat looked at Nereid with her head cocked to one side.

“It’s a rare ability among sirens that not only cancels out the effect of a siren song, but also renders the listener immune.” Nereid explained.

“…Oh! So that’s why their song suddenly stopped affecting us after we heard that noise!” Jacques said with a snap of his fingers. 

“Indeed.” Nereid said, then looked back at Sea Cat. “And given your mother’s own abilities, not all that surprising that you inherited them.”

“Who is my mother?” Sea Cat asked. “And my father for that matter? Where are they now? And these powers, how am I supposed to—”

Nereid held up a finger to stop her from spouting more questions. “I’m afraid I don’t have all the answers, namely those about your parents, Matilda. Those you may have to find for yourself one day. As to your powers, well, many of those abilities will come to you naturally with time.”

“Aye, you already swim like a fish.” Garin joked, gently ruffling Sea Cat’s hair, making her scoff slightly and swat his hand away. 

“Careful, captain, or I might siren song you into dancing until you die!” she warned jokingly.

“Actually, now that your friends have heard your scream at such close range, they’re now immune.” Nereid said with a smile as Garin and Sea Cat both looked at her in surprise. She merely nodded in confirmation.

“Well that’s a comfort, I suppose,” said Jacques. “I don’t fancy having to go through that again.”

“Me neither.” Garin said. 

“So… where do we go from here?” Sea Cat asked, looking at him.

“For now, we head back to the Pawkeet and get some rest.” Garin replied. “We’ll sleep on this and worry about what comes next later.”

“I think that’s very sound advice.” Nereid said with a nod. “You’ve all been through quite a lot. And Matilda,” she said, causing Sea Cat to look at her. “I’m sorry I don’t have any more answers for you, however, remember this; what you are doesn’t change who you are. Siren or no, you’re still you.”

Sea Cat took the words to heart as she and the rest of the crew left the cavern, via the same way that she and Scarblade’s had arrived by earlier after saying their farewells to Nereid. It was a shortcut, after all. And the traps were easy to avoid with Sea Cat guiding them out. She was fairly quiet as they walked, and Garin seemed to notice, starting to walk alongside her as they neared the exit, back towards the mural chamber.

“Nereid was right, you know,” he said. “Part siren or no, you’re still the same hell cat you’ve always been.”

Sea Cat smiled, cheeks briefly dusting with pink. “Aye, I know. It’s just… quite a bit to take in.”

“I hear ya.” Garin nodded. “Just try not to let it worry you for now.”

“Aye, aye sir.” Sea Cat said. “And… sorry about getting you and the boys mixed up in that little mess with those sirens…”

“Don’t fret over it. I mean, we ended up forced to tie you up, I’d say we’re pretty even on the regrets.” Jacques said, causing Sea Cat to chuckle and shrug.

“The only thing I’m sorry about is that ol’ Cyclops ran off before I had a chance to give him a proper send off!” Garin said, rubbing his knuckles into his palm and making a slightly disappointed, almost pouting face. The crew laughed at his expression as they finally came out into the mural chamber again.

Only something was different.

On the center of the stone platform, just beneath the crest of the arched mural, was a statue. A statue of three sirens, twisted and coiled together, made of colored glass, as though their skin and scales had been glazed over to seal them into shape. Their expressions, mixtures of rage, shock, and defeat, frozen in time just as much as their bodies were. Sea Cat visibly shuddered, almost able to swear on oath to Fyora that she saw Euboea’s eyes dart in her direction for a brief second as she and the crew paused a moment to look over the statue. She had heard—even witnessed at a distance—the power of the curses cast by disgruntled Faeries. It was not something she would wish on anyone, even if they did deserve it.

“They’re not… alive in there, are they?” Talak asked.

“I couldn’t say… But you definitely called this one, Sea Cat.” Garin said.

“Hm? Called it?” she questioned as she looked at him.

“That they’d end up like nicely packed sardines.”

Neither Garin, Jacques, Sea Cat, or any of the crew could swear to it as they drank their potion rations and swam out of the cave, as their skiff had been destroyed by Nereid’s Kora, but the statue seemed to make a scream of frustration before it was left behind in the tranquility, solitude and secrecy of Nereid’s Grotto…

The End


End file.
